Is the B&B-market getting saturated?

The B&B-branch has gone through a real growth spurt and still, new bed & breakfasts are started every week in Europe. Are we moving towards a market saturation of B&B’s? This question was asked to the Belgian B&B critic Pierre Darge last Sunday, during the B&B Expo in Brussels.

Guests look for perfectionAccording to Darge there is still plenty of room for the better B&B. “At the very most there is a market saturation of mediocre bed & breakfasts. Guests are starting to look for perfection, real surplus value. For B&B’s that offer this, there is still enough room. The ever stricter rules also play a role in this. Investments are getting larger, so the growth slows down. Because of this, the wheat will be separated from the chaff.”

The fact that there is a demand for high-quality accommodations he says can be seen from the fact that business travellers choose a B&B more often. “More and more executive secretaries book a bed & breakfast for business-relations from abroad. The fact that these business travellers appeal to B&B’s means that their quality is as high as that of a hotel.”

Larger holiday homesBesides this, Vzw Rural tourism in Flanders notices an increasing demand for larger holiday homes. Accommodations where families or groups of friends can spend a weekend or midweek, a spokeswoman says. Many holiday homes where this is possible are booked solid for the entire year.

What do you think?Is the B&B market getting saturated? Share your opinion with other B&B owners in our bed and breakfast discussion group on LinkdIn! Join the discussion >>